Process of treating fuel.



A. G. MAUL.

PROCESS OF TREATING FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.11, 1909.

949,326. Patented Feb. 15,- 1910.

WITNESSES: V Z Mil/w ATTORNEY in a suitable structure of masonry.

t l llltit iilltlt PATENTEC tll h ltllii. I

dUEiUST GEORGE MAU'L, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ANTHRACOKE COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. "2., A CORPORATION 013 NEW YORK.

success or TREATING FUEL.

ceases.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST GEORGE h/lA'UL,

residing in New York, in the county of New fork and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improve ments in Processes of Treating Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of cool or other it'uel material, and has for its object to provide a simple, etlicient, and easily practiced art whereby the coal or other material is reduced to a deusificd or com'n-essed coked condition, and trend from its uid and volatile constituents.

The product oi? this process is a com )act, practically non-porous article of uniiorm texture, which resembles in a great many ways natural coke or anthracite. It is therefore an artificial anthracite, as distinguished from the ordinary commemial or metallurgical coke.

It is one of the features of the present method that I perform the operation of compressing the fuel within the coking retort, at the proper time in the coking operation. 'lthusthe colted fuel may be compressed at the time when it is most, favorable .to such treatment, there is no danger of ignition or partial cooling and consequent non'unitorm roduct, and the fullest eli'ects of both cokmg and. compression may be had on the ma terial.

How this art may be practiced will now be explained, reference being; had to the acconimnying drawing, in which is extanplitie a, form of apparatus in connection with Wliifill'tl'lfi process may be performed.

Referring to the drawing, which is a central vertical section through a retort adapted for my process, '1 indicates a cokin retort proper, which may well be of ey indrical shape, as shown, and supported At. each end the retort is provided with u cap-plate 2, 3. Within the cylinder is a piston or plunger 4., rigidly secured to a rod 5, which extends through the ca late 2 of the cylinder. Rod 5 is threat er and engages a correspondingly threaded central boss on cap-plate 2, so that noon and in accordance with the direction ot rotation of said rod the plunger 4 may be rcciproceted within Specification of Letters Patent.

fltp'elication filed October 11, 1909.

Serial No. 522,050.

the cylinder. Means, as a. hand wheel (3, upon the outer end of rod 5, arc provided for the rotation of the rod. Gas exits from the c tinder are provided by pipes, 7 let into tie cylinder, preferably at the top thereof.

In the practice of my process 1 first provide a suitable quantity ot coal, which may be given a preliminary cleaning or other treatment, as desired. A suitable quantity of coal now introduced into the cylinder, which is then tightly closed. The cylinder may be heated to cll'cct the coking of the contained coal in any well known manner, as by the combustion of gas or other Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

fuel thereunder. As the coking of the coal takes place, the released gases and volatile or tluid constituents escape through the pipes 7, whcncethey may be conducted to suitable conserving, recovering, and treating devices, not shown.

For a clear understaiuling ot' the invention lv will now describe an operation which includes the steps of my )rocess, though it is to be understood that tie said operation is merely illustrath 'c, and the details there-- of are not to be considered as limitative ot? the invention, except. as required by the claims.

Supposing that the mass of coal under treatment. is a six hour charge, that is, a char 0 which will take six hours to coke or disti it will be found that after a few minutes a small quantity of gas will be given oil, which gra jlually increases. Accordingly, at about. the end ot the first hour of coking, when the coal is becoming soft, the first actuation oi rod 5 is begun, by turning the handwhecl (3 to advance the plunger 4:. T he advunco ol the )lungcr is in consonance with the withdrawal of the volatile constituents of the fuel, that is the plunger is simply moved to take up the room left by the escape of volatile matter. At the end of this advance movement the plunger is stopped, and the heating of the mass within the cylinder continued. The reason for thus stop'ing the advance of the. plunger is plain. briously the pressure should not be exerted steadily, since the gas would not have an opportunity to escape freely, and its quality would be not so good. Also, a continuing pressure would cause carbon deposit in the ascension p pes, causing them to become clogged, and in the retort, thus taking some of the richest illuminant from the gas, as Well as making operation dangerous and impractical. The flow of gas during the hrst three hours is much greater than that of the last three hours; in fact at the end of five hours the passing off. Therefore, a second advance of the plunger will be made a few minutes after the first advance already referred to (the time depending on the quantity of coal to be distilled), because more gas has escapedand there is consequently more room left to be taken up. After this second advance the plunger is again stopped and cokmg con tinued. The third advance will be made after a somewhat shorter interval than that between the first and second advances, because the flow of gas is now more rapid; and

' the extent of the advance will be greater than that of the second advance, for the same reason. This operation is continued, the time between advances growing gradually shorter and the extent of advances gradually increasing, in consonance with the distillation rocesses. But at a certain point in the distillation, after about the third hour fora six hour charge, the flow of gas etc. begins to diminish. As a consequence the time intervals between advances of the plunger gradually grow longer, and the extent of advance ofthe plunger gradually diminishes, all in keeping with the slower and diminishin output of gas.

Tt should be understood that in order to make the product as nearly like anthracite as possible it is found that the mass must be kept constantly agglomerated, and yet real compression must be avoided for reasons stated. Also, at about five. and one-half hours, in a six hour-charge, the coked material, which is in a soft, doughy, black mass, undergoes a change, and bGCOIllQSlllUtlllClUS- cent and brittle, and it is essential that when this period is reached that the material be compact, densified and practically as nonporous as possible, in order to make a product as near the natural coke, or anthracite coal, as possible. change from doughy to incandescent and brittle, or while the change is going on, would result in a fine, almost powdered coke, which would be undesirable, and greatly decrease its value as a fuel. Therefore, I have devised the art described, consisting of steps as set forth, by virtue of which the fuel is subjected to a series of advance movements of the plunger, separated by intervals during which there is no advance, thus securing the desirable efi'ects of agglomeration, without the ill effects of persisting pressure. And the ga 'ing of these advances of. the plunger, and of the time intervals between advances, is a simple matter, because they are merely gas will practically have ceased Compression after the] to be kept in consonance with the Withdrawal of volatile matter, easily determinable since the turning of the screw to the point where it resists further advance shows that all the volatile matter for the time being haspassed off, and that the mass should be left to distil for a period.

About the end of the fifth hour, in a six hour charge, the flow: of volatile matter practically ceases. At this period the fuel is in a soft doughy mass, but homogeneous p ungerto which it has been subjected and With the number of pores at a minimum, and very small, Real pressure is new applied frequently and at short intervals, and in each step the fuel is compressed until it will. yield no more; the application of heatco1ntinned for a few minutes, then pressure ap plied again to the limit of compressibility, until the coke begins to harden, at hich point the pressure ceases. The applic .ion of heat is continued for about ten minutes and the mass is then discharged and quenched in the usual manner, the produce by reason of the follow-up movements of the bein a substance which approximates more near y the natural coke, anthracite coal,

than anything heretofore known, being as nearly nonporous as is physically practicable, considcring that it is made in connecbe left to the operation of automatic mechanism without great diflicnlty.

l t will be apparent that by my process, as

the mass and volume of the coal are reduced under distillation, the cubical content of the retort is reduced accordingly, but without exerting any such pressure upon the charge 1 as will change its volume relatively to its mass. Then, when the mass has reached sub stantially its minimum under distillation, and before the charge becomes incandescent and brittle, its relative volume is changed by actual compression. I It is to be understood that when the operation is complete, the end of the cylinder con- 1 trolled by cap-plate 3 is opened, when upon further advance with plunger 4 the coke compressed nmtcrial may be forced out of the cylinder, and then removed to a. suitable place.

As the art above described could be carried on by the use of radically different apparatu's, and as many variations from the details of the access set forth could be incor porated without deviation from the broad principles of my invention, I desire that all matter herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention What fuel within n ter, advancing the wall against press and then, when the ste to the retort to cause escape 0 matter of the fuel to densify 1t matter; advancing the movable wall I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of producing; compressed coke, which consists in providin a body of a closed retort in w iich proii of the volatile constituents of the fuel, ano which provided with a movable wall; applying heat to the retort to cause escape of volatile mat the body of fuel to an extent equal to the escape of volatile matter, holding the wall stationary while continuing the application of heat to the retort, and then advancing the wall to comthe mass,

2. The process of treating fuel, which consists in reducing its inass by distillation while maintaining practically constant its relative volume as comparedwith its mass, mass of the fuel has reached its minimum under distillation, changing its relative volume.

3. The process of producing compressed coke,

sion is made for the escape which consists in providing a 30 tile constituents of the body of fuel; ad-

vancing the movable wall against said body of fuel to reduce its volume to an extent ,equal to the volume of volatile matter dis charged from. the retort; repeating the above until the volatile matter present in said boty of fuel has been discharged from the retort; and then advancing the wall to density the same.

4. The process of producing densitied 40 coke, which consists in providing a body of fuel within a closed retort in which provision is made for'the escape of the volatile constituents of the fuel, and which is provided with a movable wall; applying heat the volatile matter of said body of fuel; advancing the wall against'said body of fuel to an extent proportional to the reduction of the mass thereof by distillation, until the volatile said body of fuel has been discharged thercfromy and then compressing i). The process of producing dcnsitied coke, which consists in providing a body of 55 fuel Within a closed retort in which provision is made for the escape of the volatile constituents of the fuel, and which is 31'0- vided with a movable wall; applying teat to the retort to cause the escape of volatile againstthe body of fuel so that its volume is mechanically reduced, while heating the same so that its mass is reduced by distillation, and then, when the mass of the fuel has been reduced to a minimum through distillation body of 25 fuel within a closed retort in which pro against the fuel to further moving, the wall greater density,

reduce its volume and give it (3. The process of producing dcusificd coke, which consists in providing a body of fuel within a closed retort in which provision is made for the escape of the volatile constituents of the fuel, and which is provided with a movable wall; applying heat to the retort to cause escape of volatile matter from said body of fuel; advancing the movable wall against the body of fuel in successive steps to an extentproportional to the reduction of the mass thereof by distillation, until the volatile matter of said body of fuel has been discharged therefrom, and then compressing the fuel to density it.

7. The process of producing densified coke, which consists in providing a body of fuel within a closed retort in which provision is made for the escape of the volatile constituents of the fuel, and which is provided with a movable wall; applying heat to the retort to cause the escape of volatile matter of-thc body of fuel; advancing the movable wall against the body of fuel in successsivc steps, while healing the latter, so that its volume is mechanically reduced while its mass is reduced by distillation, and then, when the mass of the fuel has been reduced to a minimum through distillation, further moving the wall against the fuel to reduce its volume and give it greater density.

8. The process which consists in subjecting coal to distillation within a retort, to drive oif volatile matter, and then, when the volatile matter is all driven off, but before the charge becomes incandescent and brittle, subjecting it to com )rcssion within the retort in order to density it.

i). The process which consists in subjectin" coal to distillation within a retort, to drive oil' volatile matter, and then, when the volatile matter is all driven off, subjecting it to compression within the retort in order to density it.

10. The process which consists in subjecting coal to distillation within a ,retort to drive oil volatile matter, while maintaining p 'actically constant its relative volume, as compared with its mass and then, when the volatile matter is all driven off, but before the charge becomes incandescent and brittle, subjecting; it to compression within the retort in order to dcnsify it.

11. The process which consists in providing a body of fuel within a retort; applying heat to the retort to cause escape of the volatile constituents of'the fuel; reducing the cubical content of the retort propor; tionatcly to the escape of volatile matter, and then applying pressure to the fuel with in the retort to dcnsify it.

12. The process which consists in providing a bod of fuel within a retort; applying heat to the retort to cause escape of the volatile constituents of the fuel; redue- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ing the cubical content of the retort proporin the presence of two Witnesses. tionately to the escape of volatile matter r w 1 and then, when the volatile matter is all AUGUSE GEORGE MAUL' driven off, but before the charge becomes in Witnesses: candescent and brittle, applying pressure FRANK J. KENT,

thereto Within the retort to density it. ADELE HONIGSBERG. 

